I have a crew that works with me. We do an amazing job and never have to say one word to each other because we have worked as a crew for so long that we all know what the other guys are doing. One of my customers told me that we work with the precisions of an Army Special Forces unit.
But recently, my guys were forced to take some courses at college during the day because the night classes were full. So, I work by myself 2 days a week this semester and I found out some interesting things about myself and my work as a window cleaner.
I found myself waisting steps during the day. I was so used to one of my guys performing a specific task, that I was skipping over them only to have to go back and do them later. Waisting steps is incredibly counterproductive!
It was then that I thought of the one-man companies. They don’t have the luxuries of another hand or another mind to bounce ideas off of. They work it out themselves and force themselves to be as productive as possible. As the hours and days went by, I realized what a benefit to me it was that I spent time working alone. Foregoing the luxury of a crew has improved my skills rapidly. It makes me want to work alone from time to time just to keep my processes sharp.
So my hat is truly off to those of you who do this job day in and day out alone. You have drive and skills that I so easily forgot.
Not wasting steps and cutting out moves is the walk of all "SONS OF ETTORE "!
This is a process or thinking pattern to cut down time with out cutting out quality, which you pointed out !
I have worked with guys that run like a cheetah but I would do more or as much work as them and with less detailing, looking like I doing TiChi, and most of the time they would leave slop behind.
Process is the key to being fast and the eliminations of moves helps with making time !
Sometimes working alone as you have pointed out is more productive.
It’s good to hear that you are always expanding in your ability as an in the field cleaner …That is another trail to be on enhancing yourself as a cleaner. Cleaners should always be in a learning mode.
Oh and I’ve been working alone for quite a while now, and off and on for my 31 years !
I have been cleaning windows for 7 years and I love working by myself even on big jobs. I don’t like working on a crew cause usually people get in my way of things. Teach yourself a certain way of doing things as if your other guys are there. You make more money and over time it becomes so much easier.
I for one have a lot of respect and admiration for the owners who work as a one man crew. I myself did it for the first two and a half years we were in business and when I think back, I’m like wow, how in the heck did I do that. Cleaning glass, interacting with clients, answering the phone and giving estimates all in one. We now work with three man crews and I don’t do a whole lot of glass or ladder work these days so my skills have definitley gone south. As Toby Keith would say " I aint as good as I once was, but I could be good once as I ever was" I think…
I agree, kudo’s to the owners who go it alone.
I would love to continue working alone but find it impossible to go after the big homes as its way too much work for 1 person and there are times when windows go back on a roof that you need someone else around for safety reasons or its a 3 story window etc
As you get older its harder to just be a one man workhorse so have no choice this year but to suck the bullet and try and find 2 reliable workers so I can put more of my time into marketing, learning/ideas and estimates
Sounds like you got the best of both worlds! You are getting 2 days by yourself, which you enjoy, and the rest of week with a crew, which you enjoy! Keep it going!
Are you saying you can’t find the right employee or train them effectively?
I laugh at the posts where employers state that none of their employees can clean as well as them, schedule as well as them, quote as well as them…it’s arrogance.
BTW, I ran a business group at Intel Corporation with 60+ employees in 12 states. My goal was to train folks well enough so that I could move on a be replaced seamlessly. I’ve also worked for employers where I cared more about the business than them, and the employees around me recognized that.
I’m not “the best” at anything. When one knows how to hire, train, retain, and empower those around them, being the best is secondary.
Employee development is difficult but extremely rewarding.
It doesn’t matter what you pay and how well you treat them if they are ambitious they will eventually go out on there on. With that being said my background is dealing with painters. I know companies that pay well with benefits but in most of their employees eyes the grass is always greener on their own.
I have a window cleaning friend in my area whose name is Nick. Nick runs 2 three man crews and does an excellent job. I have recommended him quite a few times and the customers always tell me they are happy.
I work alone and do excellent work. Sometimes I try to refer people I can’t clean to Nick and they want nothing to do with him. Won’t even take a phone number. He is very professional and this puzzled me until I started to ask people why. The answer, he has PEOPLE working for him. They all want a guy they can trust to be honest and to do the job right.
PS
I have been in the cleaning industry for over 35 years and I haven’t found anybody that can cut my time in half working together. I am always faster working alone. I think a one man crew is the most efficient crew unless you need two or more people for a reason.
